tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797966844212902875.post5549065091250168104..comments2014-12-07T14:36:15.023-08:00Comments on Christopher Pissarides Econ 490 Fall 2014 : Thoughts about the course: my Final Blog Post.Ducky Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02588746221203109074noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797966844212902875.post-83042375943083257922014-12-07T14:36:15.023-08:002014-12-07T14:36:15.023-08:00I am freely writing my thoughts on this matter sin...I am freely writing my thoughts on this matter since it was to be a blog post for my overall thoughts on the class. I do occasionally express these ideas to professors after semester, but the reality is that almost no professors are curious about what I think, or the students think about the class (it's normal, I understand why it is like that, and do not have any problems with it). I do not know how I would have reacted if I met you 20 years ago when you did not have any administrative experience, and when you were focusing on the theoretical parts as the most important thing that one should embrace while learning Economics. However, the professor Arvan that I have met on Fall 2014 in the 'Econ 490: Economics of Organizations' was an eye opening, wonderful professor. I really am glad that I took this course and have a chance to know a wonderful professor like you. I do not know if you have time to read my replies to your comment, but I hope that you were, are, and will be one of the most impressive professors that I have met during my undergraduate year. Thank you for your wonderful classes. I really do appreciate them :)Ducky Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02588746221203109074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797966844212902875.post-82746451876884432132014-12-07T14:25:21.115-08:002014-12-07T14:25:21.115-08:00Thank you for the last comment on my blog post, pr...Thank you for the last comment on my blog post, professor Arvan! I will try to make a summary of the typos in the Excel while I review everything for the finals. Not only me, but I am pretty sure the students know that you did not make those mistakes intentionally, and I would be more than happy to point out those typos for better future use.<br /><br />I have read your comment, and I agree that professors do teach students what they know the best. I was not trying to emphasize that the things we learn in our classes nowadays are bad or anything. It was just an exclamation of the new method of the class that I have never experienced before with the overlapping thoughts on my situation (to be more precise, the students who are thinking about "why is it so hard to get a job these days for the non-engineering students?") after reading that particular post. I know that the things we will learn will not change in the Economics curriculum; the things we learn now are the things we ought to learn when we want to learn the art of Economics. Part of the pure Economic theories will definitely help not only me, but those who learn them and know how to use the theories in the right time and situation. However, to reiterate, the point I wanted to make was not to criticize anything, but to express how I was amazed by the new way of teaching the class and accessing to the students with the core concepts that should be learned. I know economists are proud to be what they are, and I do understand that the professors have no further obligations to teach something outside the curriculum that is already scripted before the semester starts (probably it had been continuing for years). It is just a small epiphany, from taking this class and thinking about the current situations for getting employed, that the students would benefit much more to learn from the professor's personal, actual experience about the real-life situations. <br /><br /> As always, I cannot agree more on your comment about how the 'reconstructing' helps one out in the actual life they experience. It might not be an ultimate method of truly learning things, since the experience while one goes through working is another counter part of the learning, but I do believe that it is one of the most effective ways to make the theory or concept as mine. Of course, I do not think the article is the sole truth for interpreting the current situations for what would benefit the students when they are learning something. Even though an increasing number of students are really worried about getting a job in the world nowadays, I strongly believe that the problem will be a short termed one until they get employed and they will move on to the bigger problems that would require much more pondering. However, I also believe that no one can deny that the employment problem is a serious problem even as a shortly termed one. The pure economic theory can help us in various aspects in our life, but I know that there are limitations to the help that we can benefit from it. I am not trying to say the economic curriculum has to change as a whole; as mentioned above, as a student, I was thinking that identifying the students' needs and redirecting the path of the course in a slight way would actually benefit the students in a great amount. I once again acknowledge that the professors have no obligation to do so whatsoever, but you actually said that 'It is good that this old dog (me) can still practice some new tricks.' Model 2 learning from the Schon&Argyris tells us to question the methods that we are used to, and challenge them if they are not efficient (smile). Of course, since I am a student, I am only thinking about the students' point of view, but I believe that this will help a lot of students out if done.Ducky Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02588746221203109074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8797966844212902875.post-71492639652878581382014-12-06T08:19:55.008-08:002014-12-06T08:19:55.008-08:00Hey - if you made note of those typos in Excel, pl...Hey - if you made note of those typos in Excel, please let me know. I didn't do that intentionally, even if they did make you giggle. <br /><br />I think you should understand the professors teach what they know. Twenty years ago, before I had any experience as an administrator, I would have taught a purely theoretical class, because I had no relevant experience to teach a course steeped in practical realities. Plus, at that time I had not yet learned about how others learn. Our current course reflects both of these things. It is good that this old dog (me) can still practice some new tricks.<br /><br />There is a different way, however, where pure economic theory can help you and I therefore would take issue with that article. This is to give you practice in representing very complex reality with fairly simple abstract models and making sense of reality by analyzing the model. If you get good at this it is an important life skill and you can start to make your own models to fit the situation you are in. But you only learn this by after reading the textbook reconstructing what you were exposed to on your own. Memorization doesn't do it, which is why I'm so down on memorization. You have to reproduce the results yourself. It is more laborious but you do learn that way and that learning does have payoff down the road, even if it is not immediately evident. <br /><br />You are right that my course is oriented toward a managerial perspective. But I believe it helpful even in your first position to understand the managerial approach. It will help you make sense of how things are done and why they are done that way. Professor Arvanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15256000730474030475noreply@blogger.com